Brian McIvor Quits Donegal

[orangeman]

Three Ulster titles in the last 25 years.  '83, '90, '92 (34 years  if you want to be pedantic ).

Out of interest , how many years did Brian Mc Eniff manage Donegal ?

About 15

[J70]

Three Ulster titles in the last 25 years.  '83, '90, '92 (34 years  if you want to be pedantic ).

Out of interest , how many years did Brian Mc Eniff manage Donegal ?

About 15

Can't remember the exact number, but whatever it is he won 5 Ulster titles and an All Ireland during that time.

[tyrone86]

Can't remember the exact number, but whatever it is he won 5 Ulster titles and an All Ireland during that time.

That's the figure that sticks out in my head too. Wasn't he player manager in 72?

[J70]

Can't remember the exact number, but whatever it is he won 5 Ulster titles and an All Ireland during that time.

That's the figure that sticks out in my head too. Wasn't he player manager in 72?

Yep. He was wing back and manager when we won our first Ulster title in '72 and won our first ever All-Star that year as well. He won a second Ulster title as player-manager in '74.

[orangeman]

Did he not play in thr 47 team as well ?

[orangeman]

Did you read Brendan Crossan in the Irish News today ? Very well written piece and well articulated and in particular the reference to St. Eunans and Devenney.

[time ticking away]

Not as impressive as Ziggy's scoop but expect a strike from the Donegal players !!!

[orangeman]

Not as impressive as Ziggy's scoop but expect a strike from the Donegal players !!!

I hope they don't go on strike but Donegal have made a major mistake here.

[Donegal Danny]

Can you please post the Irish News article please, very interested to see what Crossan says about St Eunan's.

[Maximus Marillius]

Can you please post the Irish News article please, very interested to see what Crossan says about St Eunan's.

The piece said 'What St Eunnans Letterkenny, who tabled the no confidence motion, should have said was that they didn't like Mc Iver's scant use of iconic footballer Brendan Devenney'

[Flex]

Cries from the gallery get rid of a top manager The Boot Room
By Brendan Crossan
05/09/08

IT was a desperately sad and undignified way for Brian McIver to end his time with Donegal earlier this week.

The Tyrone native not only deserved to see out

his current managerial arrangement in the north-west, but he deserved better treatment than the shoddy kind afforded to him on Monday night.

Captain Kevin Cassidy articulated perfectly the treatment as being a "disgrace".

But it was regrettable to read the nauseating

comments of others in the county following McIver's demise.

These comments were akin to feeding raw meat to satisfy the howling cries from the galleries.

The comments also suggested that McIver was not the man for the job, that McIver was no longer a good manager and that somewhere along the road he had forgotten the art of man-managing young amateur footballers.

Of course, there are those in Donegal with conveniently short memories.

Only last year, McIver delivered the first piece of meaningful silverware – a National League title – since 1992.

He also guided the little parish of Ballinderry to an All-Ireland club title.

He is one of the most meticulous and respected managers in Gaelic Games.

The smug assessments of McIver's managerial credentials were not only embarrassing clap-trap, but populist in the extreme.

What the dissenting voices in Donegal should have said was that they didn't like the fact McIver resigned last summer and was audaciously re-instated.

In many ways, by going back, McIver made a rod for his own back.

What St Eunan's, Letterkenny, who tabled the no-confidence motion, should have said was that they didn't like McIver's scant use of iconic footballer Brendan Devenney.

In hindsight, McIver should never have gone back after resigning in Omagh last summer.

The new landscape that greeted him on his return was far less friendly.

An Ulster title and possibly an All-Ireland semi-final appearance was arguably the only combination of results that would've kept the wolves away from the door.

What kind of environment is that to work in? Essentially, McIver's position was on the verge of being untenable prior to their first League clash against Kerry.

With each passing year, the GAA becomes more like the English Premiership insofar as when results don't come, the manager goes.

Almost sub-consciously, the GAA has become infected by the warped etiquette of the professional soccer world; where no-one properly considers the repercussions because they're too caught up in the moment of demanding change.

It's an unhealthy position the GAA finds itself in, and one that sadly appears irreversible.

The effective purging of Brian McIver earlier this week has set the county team back by three to five years.

Ironically, Donegal football was crying out for someone of McIver's ilk, a manager who would bring discipline, professionalism and structure to the county.

Evidently, it was too much for some. Donegal have lost an excellent manager.

Now he's gone – but those in the gallery don't have to pick up the pieces.

[screenexile]

Good on you Crossan! Donegal haven't a clue what they're at getting rid of a man like McIver. I know people will compare it to the Derry situation but you have to remember Croxier has no track record at club level and was not really a popular choice among Derry folk in the first place who felt we went for the 'cheap' option.

Hoefully it isn't true that he will not manage another team because I'd love to have him for Derry and watch us hammer our neighbours in the Championship!

[orangeman]

Good on you Crossan! Donegal haven't a clue what they're at getting rid of a man like McIver. I know people will compare it to the Derry situation but you have to remember Croxier has no track record at club level and was not really a popular choice among Derry folk in the first place who felt we went for the 'cheap' option.

Hoefully it isn't true that he will not manage another team because I'd love to have him for Derry and watch us hammer our neighbours in the Championship!

Brian would be a great manager for Derry - He will be a huge loss for Donegal.

[Donegal Danny]

I think if Crossan knew anything about the St Eunan's club and Brendan Devenney then he would know that the club couldn't give a dam whether or not DV was playing and most people in St Eunan's were glad he wasn't with the county this year because he was training and playing very well for the club. To say that Mc Iver is good on discipline is wrong, make no mistake about it, there are plenty of Donegal footballer out there who still over step the mark when it comes to discipline and do not have the required dedication to be top class inter county-players.

Mc Iver had 3 years in change, won a N.F.L, but his championship record is poor. Do people forget the hammering Tyrone gave us in the Ulster Semi Final last year in Clones before the shocking display against Monaghan in Omagh. After this game he said he had taken this team as far as he could, that there were no natural scoring forwards in Donegal, and that club football was useless and he didn't have the stomach to drive to Castlefinn again for winter training. After all this can anyone please explain to me why our County board re appointed him for another 3 years. Lets face it he was getting good money from the big backers in Club Donegal and this is why he suddenly got a change of heart.

I don't completely blame Brian Mc Iver but after 3 years in charge and no championship progress never mind sliverware it was clear that clubs wanted him out, to blame St Eunan's is too easy, they were simply the brave ones who stood up and said what the majority of clubs and G.A.A people in the county felt. Just look at yesterdays Donegal Democrate and you can clearly see that people wanted change and felt Mc Iver's time was up. The County Executive are the real people to blame because they knew what was going to happen but chose to ignore it and left MC Iver and the St Eunan's delegate who we must remember had been mandated by his club to cal for a vote of No Confidence if it became clear that he wasn't going to step down. The County Executive should have told Mc Iver before the meeting what was coming but they didn't .Ask yourself the question "why didn't tell Mc Iver".Did they secretly want him out to but were afraid to stand up to him. Leaders are there to lead and our County Executive didn't lead on Monday night.

[The GAA]

This may be herisy(sp) here but i don't think McIvor is good enough for county management. lads who have played under him at ballinderry openly describe him as a decent manager who had the foresight to have great men like dessie ryan in his back room team and a lot of them had a much healthier respect for barton. a decent club manager is hardly a ringing endorsement for stepping into county managementand in my view he has made no progress with donegal.

Orangeman - you should excuse yourself from this discussion as you are obviously related to McIvor.